A Fight I Can Not Lose!
by Yamomo
Summary: Forced into a fight that neither can afford to lose, two Celestial Wizards enter combat. With their guild's pride and their own on the line, Lucy and Yukino face off!


Ducking and dodging became a normal reflex for Lucy. It was an unspoken requirement for all Fairy Tail members. How else could she avoid the bumps and bruises from the flying chairs and tables? Anyways, the celestial mage made her way down to the bar for her morning coffee and conservation with Mira.

There was a level of insanity that Lucy became accustomed to. The fact that it was eight in the morning and Natsu was already picking fights; Gray lost his shoes in the five minutes she's been here. That didn't bother her anymore. It was part of her routine now. What would be strange if she actually tried to fight one of her guildmates, that's something no one was expecting from her, not even herself.

It wasn't in her nature. Everyone knew that. She was supposed to be one of the most level-headed people in the guild which in itself wasn't saying much. Her only competition was Levy and Mira. Everyone else was at some notch of insanity. Who was where on the scale was anyone's guess.

"So what do you have planned for today, Lucy?" Mira served my drink and pulled Lucy from the narrative.

"I don't know. Maybe catching up on my books..." She sighed out of boredom.

"You could fight someone." Cana snickered with a barrel in between her legs.

"You just want drinking money. A chance to place some bets." She cut through the alcoholic's words.

"I'm wounded, Lucy. I want to see how much you have grown with your powers." Cana falsified her gasp for dramatic effects.

"Cana has a point," Mira said while cleaning a glass. "We rarely get to see you fight. I think the only time I saw you fight is in the games."

"Please don't remind me of that." I cringed at the memories. Even though Flare and Minerva apologized for everything, I still flinched at the thought.

"So c'mon, fight someone." Cana nudged my shoulder.

"Like who? I'm not at Natsu or Gray's level. Carla doesn't permit fighting Wendy, and I pretty sure Juvia is waiting for an excuse to drown me." I pointed out with tiredness in my eyes.

"Let's get someone from Sabertooth!" Cana's face lit up at the thought of the plan.

"They'll kill me!" I shuddered at the thought of fighting Sting or Orga. Rufus or Rogue might go easy on me, but I'm almost positive Minerva would refuse.

"Oi! Natsu!" Speaking of the group of devils, the four of them slammed the door open. Sting was leading the charge, so chaos was coming fast. "I want a rematch."

Natsu acknowledged him for a second before throwing a naked Gray at the white tiger. Rogue and the others stared at the dent in the wall Gray and Sting made before making their way over to a table. Lucy groaned in frustration. It had to be today of all days Sabertooth decides to come over. The day Cana wants to see Lucy fight a tiger they also made themselves comfortable in our guild. Even with luck, this was-

"You set me!" Everything clicked together in Lucy's mind. Cana called them ahead of time for this exact moment. The moment the idea is brought up, they would appear.

"Do you really think I would all this for money?" Cana grabbed her chest as if my words did physical damage to her.

"So this was about money." I shot a glare at her.

"Come now Lucy," Mira sensed my intent to hurt Cana. "Just think about it as a chance to refine your skills."

They were partners in crimes.

"Who am I even suppose to fight?" I caved in, knowing there's no way escaping.

"There's Rogue, Yukino, and Minerva." The she-devil smiled. "Sting was an option, but..."

"It works for me." Lucy sighed. "Hmm... I don't want a repeat of the games, so Minerva's out."

"Fair enough," Mira said as the Sabertooth member came over. Their cover was blown.

"Rogue is out. He's barely below Gajeel's level, so I guess it Yukino would be the best option."

"I will be a worthy opponent for you, Ms. Lucy," Yukino said.

"Hold on," Minerva interjected. "Will Lucy be allowed all her keys? She was three times as many as Yukino."

"A keen eye, milady." Rogue held Frosch in his arms.

"I guess I could use three keys like Yukino." I settled. "It's just a harmless fight, what's the worse thing that can happen?"

"Yes, let's try to have fun with this." Yukino smiled.

"ALRIGHT! A CELESTIAL FIGHT!" Cana cheered, earning everyone's attention.

"How interesting..." Erza smirked at the idea. "I will be cheering for you, Lucy."

"Yeah, Lucy's gonna kick her ass." Natsu showed off his toothy smile.

"Hey, don't count Yukino out." Sting head-butted him. "She's a tiger, and we don't lose."

"Wanna bet?" Nastu pushed back with his head.

"I already have the bets going." Cana showed off her chalkboard. "100 jewels per bet!"

"I don't have money." The dragonslayers said in perfect union.

"How bout we made it interesting with another bet?" Sting suggested. "If Lucy loses, she has to shave half her head and does a photoshoot with Sorcerer Magazine."

"You're satanic! There's no wa-" Lucy's voice was lost in the volume of Natsu's.

"Bet! If Yukino loses, she has to pick up Gray's clothes every time he strips." Natsu matched Sting.

"That's not so bad." Yukino went with wishfully thinking. The sweat on her face was not from the murderous intent coming from Juvia. However, the same thing went through the two wizard's mind.

This is not a match I cannot afford to lose.

* * *

Minerva teleported everyone to the Grand Magic Game's field because why not. It was a fight between two guilds, so the idea made sense. Lucy took a moment to unhook all but three keys from her belt. She gave them to Mira for safekeeping.

Right off the bat, she knew who she couldn't use. Loke and Aquarius are strong no doubt, but there's no water for Aquarius. Loke, on the other hand, had a weakness for girls in general. Lucy would be shooting herself in the foot if she used those two. Taurus had the same weakness, so he was out.

Lucy had an idea about how Yukino fights, mid-range to close combat. Therefore, she needed someone who could match her. Gemini was her best bet. Virgo was her most reliable fighter considering the remaining six option. Those two were set no matter what. The last one was her problem. No, the last one was critical to winning. She did not want a shaved head. There was no way Lucy could afford that. That's why she went with Aries. After all, this Heartfilia had a plan in mind.

Master Makarov, Sting, and Mira acted all the announcers for some reason. It was clear that there no one else besides the two guilds present, so why they need it was beyond Lucy's comprehension.

"Are the fighters ready?" Erza appeared in a referee outfit. "There is no time limit. The first wizard to collapse from exhaustion or loss of magic will lose. I feel that I do not need to remind you two to fight clean. Do not bring disrespect to your guild."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Yes, Erza."

"Very well, begin!"

"Let's start this with a bang!" I swung my first key. "Open! Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!"

"Yes, princess?" Virgo poofed in our world. "Is it punishment time?"

"Wh-What? No! I need you to take care of her!" I ignored her request. Virgo's eyes shined bright gold for a moment before rushing over to Yukino. Without missing a step, Yukino summoned her own spirit.

"Open! Gate of the Scales! Libra!" The exotically dressed spirit appeared. " Suppress Virgo please!"

"I was hoping you would do that!" Lucy smirked before transforming. "Star Dress: Gemini Form!"

Lucy countered Libra's gravity magic, successfully freeing Virgo. Moveable once again, Virgo charged at the white-haired wizard. Yukino tossed off her long cloak to the ground, getting serious. Virgo and Yukino entered a fistfight. Both would block the other's attack with ease and try to counter in the small window of opportunity only to have the other block the attack.

What Lucy did, however, was extremely dangerous. It was true with Gemini's Star Dress she could counter Libra's magic, but that's the only thing she could do at the moment. She couldn't summon another spirit without risking Libra crushing Virgo under her pressure. Yet, Yukino couldn't summon another spirit without Virgo getting the upper hand. One wrong move and Virgo could do serious damage to the girl. It was a stalemate from the moment Lucy transformed.

Magic wasn't a problem for either one of them. Lucy and Yukino each had an abundant of magic powers. Neither knew how much the other had, that was a problem. The answer could come once one of the celestial spirits disappeared. Sensing this dilemma, Virgo started using her magic.

"Spica Lock!" Similar to Juvia's water lock, Virgo commanded the ground to encased Yukino in the rock sphere. With her locked away, Virgo came over to handle Libra. It was easy to tell that Libra was not a close combat type of fighter seeing how easily she bruised. Lucy didn't want to gang up on the golden key spirit, so she left them to fight. In the midst of the fight, Libra was called back, and Lucy did the same with Virgo, in a way to conserve energy. With Virgo gone, the spell wore off, releasing Yukino from the sphere.

The Sabertooth wizard gritted her teeth, her resolve hardening even more. The idea of getting on Juvia's bad side could do that to anyway. Lucy realized this wasn't a fight that she could win with simple tricks. Neither side could accept their punishment.

"Open! Gate of the Paired Fish! Pisces!" Yukino swiped her next key in the air. "Please! I need your assistance!"

Two extremely long white and black fishes passed through the gate. Their sheer size was enough to crush Lucy. The blonde wizard knew she had to save Gemini and Aries for the end, or her plan wouldn't work. Therefore, she switched onto the defensive side.

"Star Dress: Taurus Form!" That was the beauty of this magic for Lucy. As long as she had a contract with the spirit, she was capable of using their star dress. Therefore, she could use Taurus's powers this moment.

Yukino stood back as a way to regain her breathe. The duo fish dived for Lucy. The Star Dress mage slammed her whip down to disrupt the ground. Her attack wasn't as strong as one that broke the ground on the fourth day of the games. No, she wasn't trying to pay for that. She had rent to pay. Lucy's attack was just strong enough to push the earth upwards, in the shape of boulders. Pisces smashed through the earth with its momentum. That was okay for Lucy. She just needed a chance to escape the attack.

When Pisces broke through the boulders, Lucy used the opportunity to use the rocks as stepping stones all the way to the white fish. She managed to climb on top of it without the other one noticing. Yukino warned the fish that Lucy riding it. Trying to maintain her grip and attack, Lucy smashed a bone-cracking Lucy Punch to the white fish's parietal bone of its skull, knocking it cleanout. Lucy thinking both fishes would be set back smirked. Unbeknownst to her, the black fished wrapped its body around Lucy, squeezing the breath out of her.

"Do you wish to yield Ms. Lucy?" That's all it took. All Lucy had to do was give the okay, and Yukino would send Pisces. The match would be over. It also took one punch or kick in this form to escape. Lucy could promise you that her hair was not going to be cut as long as she had a sliver of hope.

Lucy knee-ed Pisces somewhere on its body. It wasn't really important to her at the moment. She got what she wanted, a chance to escape. Using her whip, Lucy swung herself all the way to the top of the remaining half of Pisces, delivering the same crushing blow to the blackish fish. Without missing a step, Yukino retracted the paired fish and summoned her ace.

"Open! Gate of the Snake Charmer!" The sky darkened at the sound of her chant. "Ophiuchus!"

It was only a matter of time before Yukino pulled out the black key, and Lucy knew a single key couldn't defeat it.

"Open! Gate of the Maiden! Virgo! Gate of the Ram! Aries! Gate of the Twins! Gemini!" It a dangerous bet, but Lucy was willing to take it. Perhaps she was hanging with Natsu for too long? That question was for another time on another day.

"Huh? You can summon three!?" Yukino took a step back in shock. From what she knew and what her spirits told her, the limit was two at a time. 'Is this the power of a Fairy Tail mage' the question passed in her mind. Shock and awe aside, Yukino sent Ophiuchus out to fight. If she could take out all three spirits, Lucy would be both exhausted and out of spirits. Therefore, Yukino could escape the wrath of Juvia. She knew Lucy's punishment was bad, but there was nothing she could do about it.

Aries built a wall of pink wool that divided the large arena in two, separating the Yukino and her spirit from Lucy and her three. Ophiuchus was pushing the fluff wall back, inch by inch.

"What we do for you princess?" Virgo asked.

"I need Gemini and Aries to keep them distracted. Gemini, you need to transform into me and don't change into anyone else." Lucy commanded. "Virgo, I need you to a hole."

"There's no need to worry!" Gemini-Lucy cheered in Lucy's Taurus Star Dress. Even in this battle, Lucy was learning how far the Star Dress reached. Not only can Gemini turn into her, but they can manipulate the Star Dress as well. Her spirits got into the formation as the original Lucy winced at the pace her magic was being consumed. Her magic container was reaching its limit. Four summonings in less than an hour? That was too much even for her. Nonetheless, Lucy focused on her plan.

Ophiuchus broke through the wool wall and attacked Aries and Gemini-Lucy. This was the chance Lucy waiting for. This was the decisive moment of the battle.

 _Survey the Heavens, Open the Heavens..._

 _All the Stars, far and wide..._

 _Show me thy appearance..._

 _With such a shine..._

 _Oh, Tetrabiblos..._

 _I am the ruler of the stars_

 _Aspects become complete_

 _Open thy malevolent gate..._

 _Oh, 88 Stars of the Heaven..._

 _Shine!_

 _Second Origin Release! Urano Metria!_

Lucy's eyes shined a magic seal as her attack ripped through the sky. Out of instinct, Yukino steeled herself for the incoming attack, yet Lucy had a different plan in mind. Yukino was never her target. No, Ophiuchus was. It's true that if you beat the key holder, the spirit must return the Celestial world. But, that would be considered a cheap move to win. And, Lucy had the uphold the Fairy Tail name. Ophiuchus faded away as Lucy dismissed Aries and Gemini.

Yukino was taken aback a little. Although she knew Lucy was an amazing wizard, the thought of Lucy slaying her mighty Ophiuchus was another thing altogether. A figure popped up from the ground in front of Yukino. With no chance to dodge or duck, Yukino was met with a fist straight to the lungs. Lucy fell to her knees with a smile on her face as Yukino collapsed on the ground.

"Please Yukino... I don't want you to get up." Lucy huffed in between breaths. The match was over, and Lucy had narrowly escaped her punishment. It was a tough battle from the begin, but it finally was over.

"That is it! The match has ended!" Erza declared. "Lucy Heartfillia of Fairy Tail has won."

Gray and Cana lifted Lucy into the air, chanting her name. Mira and Wendy rushed over to check on Yukino. Everyone else had their own means and points of reacting to the fight. Among the chaos, Master Makarov announced a party in Lucy's honor. While everyone was filing out the arena, Lucy stayed to help Yukino.

"Sorry about that Yukino," Lucy scratched her cheek. "I guess I went overboard."

"It's okay Ms. Lucy." Yukino shook Lucy's hand. "Someone had to win. Thank you for being honorable."

"Man Luce, that was awesome," Natsu and Sting approached the two girls.

"Yeah Yukino, you're improving." Neither of them noticed the murderous intent coming from the females. With one quick glance, Yukino and Lucy understood what they had to do.

"Lucy-!"

"Yukino-!"

"KICK!"


End file.
